Arya News - Amid the rare overlap of Lunar New Year and Ramadan, Chinese Muslims in Indonesia are finding ways to honor both celebrations, respecting family customs and Islamic practices at the same time.
JAKARTA – Among the pork and alcohol typically served during Lunar New Year celebrations, 24-year-old Aprillia Hamdani and her family had a separate table of chicken and beef to observe their Islamic dietary restrictions at a family gathering in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
“We always have dinner together before the Lunar New Year itself,” she told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday. “But since we don’t eat pork or drink alcohol, my father’s extended family understands and they respect that.”
Aprillia is part of a small but visible group of Chinese Muslims in Indonesia navigating overlapping celebrations this year, observing the Lunar New Year on Tuesday while also preparing for the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan later in the week.
The last time such a rare overlap occurred was in the late 1990s, when the Lunar New Year fell in the middle of Ramadan.
While official data remains limited, a 2018 study published in Studia Islamika estimated around 80,000 Chinese Muslims in Indonesia’s population of over 280 million, making them a Muslim minority within the ethnic Chinese minority of about 10 million to 11 million.
Despite differences in faith, Aprillia described the “joyful” connection with her extended family, noting how her relatives accepted her practices.
“Because I’m Muslim, I join the gathering but don’t take part in the prayers at the temple,” she said. “But we still shop together, buy new outfits and prepare cash-filled envelopes for Lunar New Year.”
The private employee based in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, also highlighted the “fun and festive” atmosphere she experienced in the malls, where red lanterns and paper dragons were displayed alongside green Ramadan banners in separate aisles.
Cities across Indonesia also embraced the contrasting festivities, with a Lunar New Year festival held at Lapangan Banteng in Jakarta from Feb. 17 to Mar. 3, to accommodate Ramadan.
“The event’s peak on Feb. 28 will start after breaking the fast and be followed by [Ramadan’s] tarawih prayers, so that people don’t use Lunar New Year as an excuse to skip them,” festival organizer Irene Umar said in late January, Antara reported .
Identity struggle
Yet beyond Makassar’s warmth and Jakarta’s cheer, navigating dual identities can be challenging. Aling, a Chinese Indonesian who converted to Islam in 2012, said she is no longer welcomed at Lunar New Year celebrations among her family in Medan, North Sumatra, after embracing her new faith.
“Since becoming Muslim, my relatives aren’t close anymore,” the 53-year-old, who still uses her Chinese name, told the Post on Monday. “Almost the entire extended family pulled away.”
Born in Aceh and later relocating to Medan, Aling said some relatives continue to question her decision to convert. As recently as last week, an older cousin openly told her to remove her hijab at a family gathering in Pekanbaru, Riau.
“She said, ‘You don’t need to wear that. It looks uncomfortable and hot,’” Aling recounted. “The rejection is still there, even said out loud in front of everyone.”
The celebrations she shares with her own family are further muted by this year’s deadly natural disasters in the northern part of Sumatra. Floods damaged homes in Aceh Tamiang regency, including those of Aling’s extended family. Government aid, she said, has been slow and uneven.
Her daughter, Stasya Yovela, a Buddhist who celebrates Lunar New Year but warmly observes Ramadan with her Muslim mother, feels the subdued mood keenly.
“Honestly, this year is kind of lackluster,” the 26-year-old teacher said. “Many of our relatives in Tamiang were affected. The vibe just isn’t there.”
Despite family tensions and the disaster, both women are still figuring out which houses to visit during the Idul Fitri holiday, or how to celebrate at home.
“We’re still planning our schedules,” Stasya said. “But one thing is certain: I’ll still have to prepare some envelopes later for Idul Fitri.”